News From Us

Morey Stettner, a business reporter for The Portsmouth Herald recently interviewed William Soupcoff, a founder and principal architect of TMS Architects. It was a very informative piece as we all learned some things about Bill that we didn’t know before….such as his first “real” job:

Lafe Covill, Associate AIA , TMS Architects Project Manager and Cristina Marais, our Interior Designer, spent the morning at a renovation they have been working on for some time and we were thrilled to see the construction photographs they brought back with them! Located in the mid part of New Hampshire, this project involves a complete renovation of the master suite, the main living spaces and bathrooms. TMS has been collaborating once again with CMRugusa Builders on this renovation as we have on completed TMS projects, Seaside Renovationand Family Room Renovation.

According to a recent article in the Manchester Union Leader, the TMS-designed, Madbury Commons project is on schedule for an August completion date thanks to construction company ProCon’s valiant efforts in battling one of the worst winters in the Northeast. According to developer Ken Rubin, President of Golden Goose Capital in Durham, “It’s a very important project for the town…the whole concept was to extend downtown and create quality public space.”

New England Home Magazine recently debuted a section called Perspectiveswhich shares interesting tidbits from various architects and designers such as “What I’m Looking At” and “Shopping Bag”. One of articles in this section is called “What Makes It Work” and we were delighted that the March-April issue featured a home designed by TMS Architect, Shannon Alther, AIA.

TMS always learns something interesting about Portsmouth when we publish a post from J. Dennis Robinson, our guest historical contributor. Last time we learned about the building that presently houses our offices when it was part of the Eldredge Brewing Company ; this time we learned more about its earlier history in the textile industry.

In our last history installment we learned that the site of the modern TMS Architects offices was once a brewery. Heman (not Herman) Eldredge and his sons ran the Eldredge Brewing Company on the same spot off Bartlett Street in the second half of the 19th century. Although their brew, including Portsmouth Ale, was hugely popular, the Eldredge brand was drowned out by the even greater success of the Frank Jones Brewery just across the tracks in the city’s West End.
But there’s more. The brewery was built on the site of an equally important, but now forgotten, textile factory. Yes, during the 1800s, Portsmouth was also known as a key city for the production of stockings. Who knew?

A TMS Architects designed project in western Massachusetts, the Hampden Country Club, is in the final stages of completion with an opening date of early May scheduled for the new Clubhouse and end of June for the Banquet Facility. This three year project features a 24,000 square foot Clubhouse complete with a generous dining room, separate bar and lounge, men and women’s lounges, a pro shop, luxurious spa, golf simulator room, exercise room, conference room and a wedding garden.

We recently photographed a beautifully renovated space that was the result of a collaboration between TMS Architcts, Cebula Design and Ragusa Builders. The homeowners had operated a small business out of their home for many years and after their retirement, they decided to convert the shipping/warehouse space into a cozy family room and mudroom with an elegantly detailed connection to the main house. They confess that with the convenient gas fireplace, large screen TV and comfortable seating, most of their leisure time is spent relaxing in this new space! As they say, “pictures speak a thousand words” and Rob Karosis’s photographs of this elegant space certainly capture the beauty of this renovation.

When our guest historian, J. Dennis Robinson, recently wrote about the old Eldredge Brewery in one of his columns for The Portsmouth Herald, we were intrigued because the building in which TMS Architects offices are located is called Eldredge Park. We asked him what the connection might be and he supplied us with the following information…he always knows the answer to local lore!

In spite of a challenging New England winter, TMS Architects and ProCon Construction have kept the Madbury Commons student housing on track in Durham, New Hampshire. The project is located in downtown Durham, close to the University of New Hampshire and all the downtown Durham amenities. The property will have 126 apartments and accommodate 525 students. Featuring fully furnished, modern apartments complete with air conditioning and washer/dryers, the complex will be opened for the 2015-16 school year. TMS principal architect, Shannon Alther, AIA, and project manager, Josh White, recently visited the site and returned with these progress photos.

Several years ago we worked on the historic renovation of The Music Hall theater in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The renovations breathed new life into the architectural gem, which remains a fixture of the local arts scene and community. If you haven’t visited since the renovation, the holiday season is a great time to have a look while enjoying a play, concert, or other event at the theater this December.